The Eternal Optimist

In the past, I’ve seen school canceled for all kinds of weather-related reasons: snow, heat, even high winds. But closed on account of torrential rain was a new one for me. Our neighbors told us that the rain could get pretty crazy around these parts when we moved in last month, but we didn’t know just how crazy until we watched the Hendersons from up the street canoeing past our driveway.

The water is fast approaching the top of our front steps, but Dad keeps telling me that all the sandbags reinforcing our ground floor doors and windows will be enough to keep the water out. I’m not entirely sure I believe him.

“On the plus side,” he says, joining me at the window. “Have you seen the backyard? You finally got that pool you’ve been asking for.”

“Ha ha, Dad.”

“No, really. Go take a look. The whole yard is underwater. Go change into your suit and jump right in. I’m sure the water’s fine.”

“Do you ever take anything seriously?” I ask.

“Not if I can help it.”

“You know the rest of the neighbors are abandoning their respective ships, right?”

“They’re just being overly cautious. I promise everything will be okay.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re everything I need. You’re the only thing I can’t replace. A little water is a blip on the the radar. A bump in the road.”

“And what if it gets higher?”

“That’s why we have a second floor. And why I moved the kayaks to the attic.”

Say what you want about my dad, there’s never a dull moment, and no man-made or natural disaster that could shake his optimism.


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288 words

Prompt: Write a story of 300 words or less which includes the words rain, school, jump.

Originally written for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  and "I Write in 2018" .